The Philistine City of Gath
by Leon Mauldin
via Biblical Insights, Vol. 15 No. 2, February 2015
The first biblical mention of the city of Gath is in Joshua 11:22, contextually speaking of the giants (Anakim) who remained in the land after the initial conquest: “None of the Anakim were left in the land of the children of Israel; they remained only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod.” Gath was one of five cities of the Philistine Pentapolis: Ashdod, Gaza, Ashkelon, Gath, and Ekron (I Samuel 6:17). Gath was the more prominent and is mentioned in the Bible more often than any of these.
Perhaps the best-known reference to Gath is due to the narrative of David’s killing of Goliath, the Philistine giant. The fearsome champion’s home was Gath (I Samuel 17:4). Later, David fled from King Saul, seeking asylum from Achish, king of Gath (I Samuel 21:10), but when he saw he was in danger there, David pretended to be insane. However, he was later successful in finding refuge at Gath (I Samuel 27:1ff), though the Philistines subsequently gave David his own city, Ziklag.
When Saul and his son Jonathan (David's best friend) died at Mt. Gilboa, David wrote a song that included the words, “Tell it not in Gath, Proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon — Lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, Lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph” (II Samuel 1:20).
Like many biblical cities, Gath had lesser towns associated with it. “Later David defeated the Philistines and subdued them. He took Gath and its surrounding towns away from the Philistines” (I Chronicles 18:1 NET). Later (ca. 755 BC), it was again a Philistine city (Amos 6:2), but in 711 BC, Gath was conquered by the Assyrian King Sargon II.
Also, bear in mind that when you see the word Gittite, that reference is made to a resident of Gath. One of David’s most loyal followers was Ittai the Gittite. When David was forced to flee Jerusalem during his son Absalom’s rebellion, he told Ittai that he was not expected to accompany David. “But Ittai replied to the king, as surely as the LORD lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether it means life or death, there will your servant be” (II Samuel 15:21 NIV). On-going excavations are taking place at Gath, Tell es-Safi, under the direction of Dr. Aren Maeir, professor at Bar-Ilan University.
